Aggregate

Quality Control/Quality Assurance

Program

January 13, 2016

A joint effort of the

North Carolina Department of Transportation

and the

North Carolina Aggregates Association

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................ 1

II. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS .......................................................................................................... 2 A. Basic Requirements ............................................................................................................................ 2

B. Quality Control Plan ........................................................................................................................... 2

C. Certified Laboratory ............................................................................................................................ 3

D. Quality Control Technician ................................................................................................................. 3

E. Plant Approval Process ........................................................................................................................ 3

F. Certification for Participation in the Aggregate QC/QA Program ...................................................... 4

III. AGGREGATE SAMPLING AND TESTING PROCEDURES .................................................................. 5 A. Producer's Quality Control ................................................................................................................... 5

B. NCDOT Verification and QA Split Sampling .................................................................................... 7

C. Roadway Assurance/Acceptance and Independent Assurance ............................................................ 9

IV. EXHIBITS .................................................................................................................................. 11 EXHIBIT A- NCDOT AGGREGATE QC/QA PLANT OWNERSHIP UPDATE FORM..................................... 13

EXHIBIT B- TESTING EQUIPMENT LIST ................................................................................................... 15

EXHIBIT C- SAMPLING PROCEDURES ...................................................................................................... 17

EXHIBIT D- PROCEDURES FOR SPLITTING AND LABELING SAMPLES ...................................................... 20

EXHIBIT E- RAPID DRYING PROCEDURE ................................................................................................. 24

EXHIBIT F- QAP SYSTEM FOR REPORTING SAMPLE TEST DATA AND RETRIEVING STATISTICS ............ 26

EXHIBIT G- TOLERANCES FOR COMPARISONS OF QC/QA GRADATIONS ............................................... 29

EXHIBIT H- INDEPENDENT ASSURANCE SAMPLING AND TESTING ......................................................... 32

EXHIBIT I - SPECIFICATIONS (GRADATIONS, LL, and PI) ....................................................................... 34

EXHIBIT J- PROJECT CONSTRUCTION OF APPROVED STOCKPILES (ABC- TYPE B) ................................ 39

EXHIBIT K- INVESTIGATION PROCEDURES FOR FAILING ROADWAY ASSURANCE SAMPLES ................. 43

EXHIBIT L- FIELD PROCEDURE FOR INVESTIGATION OF ROADWAY ASSURANCE FAILURE FOR

GEOMATERIALS LAB FIELD ENGINEER ................................................................................................... 44

EXHIBIT M AGGREGATE QC/QA SAMPLING AND TESTING TRAINING MANUAL ................................... 46

EXHIBIT N QC/QA PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION ........................................................................ 82

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I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Aggregate Quality Control/Quality Assurance Program is designed to give aggregate

producers more responsibility for controlling the quality of material they produce and to utilize

the quality control information they provide in the acceptance process by the North Carolina

Department of Transportation (NCDOT). It requires aggregate producers to perform quality

control sampling, testing and record keeping on aggregates they ship for use by the Department.

Also, it requires the Department to perform quality assurance and verification sampling, testing

and record keeping to confirm the performance of the producers' control plan as set forth herein.

This program is designed for Aggregate Producers providing Clean Coarse or Fine Aggregates

for use on or in products such as asphalt, concrete, block, etc., and when providing any type of

aggregate base material, including cement treated base that is utilized on any type of NCDOT

Maintenance or Contract Project whether purchased by a Contractor or sold directly to the

Department for use on any current NCDOT right of way. Asphalt sand that is produced by and

utilized by the same asphalt producer shall be tested according to the provisions of the Hot Mix

Asphalt Quality Management System Manual.

It is the intent of this program that acceptance or rejection of material be based on the total

program. Therefore, a comparison of the Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Verification, and

other sample data may be used by the Department for acceptance or rejection of a lot of material.

Participation in this program does not relieve the producer of the responsibility of complying

with all requirements of the NCDOT Standard Specifications for Roads and Structures.

This manual contains information regarding the sampling and testing of material at the Aggregate

Producers facility (quarry, sand pit, sales yard, etc.). Sampling and testing requirements at other

locations (including but not limited to: present NCDOT right of way, asphalt, concrete, pipe, or

block plants) may be found in other publications such as the Aggregate Sampling Manual or the

Hot Mix Asphalt Quality Management System Manual.

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II. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

A. Basic Requirements

There are four basic requirements for approval to participate in either Section.

The source must be on the NCDOT Aggregate Physical Properties List.

The facility must have an approved in-house quality control plan.

The facility must have a certified laboratory or have written approval to use an off-site

certified laboratory.

The facility must have a NCDOT certified quality control technician.

B. Quality Control Plan

The Producer must prepare a written quality control plan. The plan may be generic, but must be

site specific. The plan must indicate in detail how the Producer proposes to control the

equipment, materials, and production methods to insure that the specified products are obtained.

The plan must list the personnel responsible for production and quality control at the site and

include information on how to contact each person. The following specific information must

also be included in the plan:

Identification of the physical location of the source, to include a description of the property

site and reference to the nearest identifiable points such as highways and towns.

A description of the signs used to identify each stockpile as intended for NCDOT usage.

Stockpile signs must be legible from the cab of a truck fifty feet from the identified pile.

A loading and shipping control plan which includes a description of the methods by which

the products are to be loaded and shipped for use by the Department, including safeguards

against loading improper aggregate, contamination, degradation, and segregation of the

aggregate. The plan must also include methods of insuring that all products are accurately

identified and that all shipping units are clean.

A plan for dealing with quality control sample failures. This plan must include how the

Producer plans to initiate an immediate investigation and how the Producer will implement

corrective action to remedy the cause of the problem.

Two copies of the Producer's written quality control plan must be submitted with the original

request for plant approval. Two copies of an updated Plant QC Plan must be submitted when

changes are made to the plants operations or ownership. A copy of the Plants Ownership

Update Form must be submitted by December 31st of each year or when there is a change to the

plants ownership. An example of the Plant Ownership Update Form may be found in Exhibit A.

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C. Certified Laboratory

The Program requires all tests to be conducted at laboratories certified by the Department. It is

expected that each source, including distribution yards, will establish and maintain its own

laboratory for the performance of quality control testing, but the Department will consider a

producer's request to utilize a certified laboratory in the same general vicinity. The Producer

must make this request in writing and have written approval, from the Department, before testing

aggregates off site. The equipment required for a certified laboratory is listed in Exhibit B.

Records on instrument calibration and maintenance and sample collection and analysis must be

maintained at the laboratory. The Departme